Shock death of student, 24

GV picture�of�Chestnut Grove, Hemsworth, where�24-year-old Daniel Field was discovered in his flat�partly decomposed by his cousin on July 17.

Published:12:00Wednesday 01 August 2012

MYSTERY surrounds the death of a 24-year-old man whose body was found at his home.

Daniel Field had not been seen by friends or family for five days when his body was discovered in his flat on Chestnut Grove, Hemsworth, last week.

An inquest into his death on Monday heard that the student was found by his cousin James Jackson at around 11pm on Tuesday, July 17.

Mr Jackson rang police to report the discovery and an investigation is now underway.

Speaking during the brief hearing in Wakefield on Monday, coroner’s officer Tony Lancaster said Mr Jackson “found him in a sitting position on the sofa.”

He said: “He appeared to have been dead for some time.”

Mr Lancaster added that CID officers who examined the scene said his death was not being treated as suspicious.

Mr Field was described as a single student who was born in Pontefract.

He was officially pronounced dead shortly after midnight on Wednesday, July 18.

He was later identified by his mother Lorraine Field, who had not seen him for eight days prior to his death.

Mr Field had last been seen by his grandmother, who went shopping with him in Wakefield the previous Thursday.

Provisional post mortem examinations failed to identify the cause of Mr Field’s death and Wakefield coroner David Hinchliff adjourned the hearing for further police investigations to be made.

Speaking after the inquest a neighbour, who did not want to be named, said Mr Field lived in his flat alone with two pet rabbits and had not been living in the Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) property for very long.

She added: “I didn’t know him, but I would often see him going in and out of his flat. He seemed a nice enough lad.

“It must have been a big shock to find him like that and it is very sad.”